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Cover of Cinder

Cinder

by D.N. Bryn

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·The GriMM Tales
4.2 on Goodreads (364)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

A Cinderella retelling like no other - featuring a transmasc vigilante, an aromantic prince, pigeon magic, and a romance that builds from FWB to something genuinely tender. The trans representation is authentic and the writing is beautiful. Each GriMM Tales book stands alone with its own HEA.

Synopsis

Cinder-Szule Reinholz has no intention of marrying his kingdom’s rake of a prince. His place in the world is to keep his incompetent, destitute household afloat. It’s the only respectable thing he’s managed since his mother wasted her dying breath tasking him to do good, and the sins he’s stacked against that duty grow by the day—along with the bastards he’s stabbed and left for dead. But while slinking through the royal matchmaker ball, Cin stumbles onto the prince mid-conquest. He’s whisked into a thrilling affair, as secretive as the magic that conceals his status and the feathers he leaves in his victim’s wounds. As Cin learns more of the prince’s familial burdens and perceived failures, his yearning delves beyond the prince's striking physique to his tender and attentive heart. Cin’s nightly escapades are not going unnoticed by his family, though—not his time with the prince, nor his vigilante missions. Just as the King and Queen are presenting their own son’s hand in marriage like a trophy for the taking, they’ve offered a prize for whoever identifies the killer roaming their streets. Caught between duty, desire, and something far darker, Cin fights for a future that doesn’t leave him trapped in someone else’s world—or their dungeons. CINDER is a mid/high-heat M/M retelling with a transmasc, vigilante Cinderella. This novel is part of a series of interconnected Grimm fairy tales that can be read as standalones, each with its own Happy Ever After! Content includes familial emotional abuse, references to physical abuse suffered by side characters, one scene with story-relevant gore and mutilation, magical top surgery, and multiple spice scenes.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

A curator's note goes here with flavor that could spoil the plot.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

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Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.20 ★ (364)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

337 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2025

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Fantasy Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/M

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Third Person

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Medium Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
fairytale retellingsecret relationshiphidden identitysecret powerforbidden love
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

romanticadventurousangstyintensedramatichopefulyearning

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

lyricalemotionalwarmearnestimmersive

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

page turner

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

anti-herorogue/scoundrelthief/criminalsecretly soft

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

friends to loversmutual pininghe falls firstbanterpush and pull

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
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Spice Level 3

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

emotional / lovingtender / sweet explicitslow / sensual

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

body worshiptensionanticipationtouch starvationlonging glances

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (8)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
abuseemotional abuseparental abusegoreanimal deathviolencechronic illnessgaslighting
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

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World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

high fantasy

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

royal court / palacesmall town / village

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

witches/wizards/warlocks

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

trans MCqueerdisabled MCchronic illness

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

the angst deliveredcathartic releasecore memory unlocked

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

cozy eveningrainy weekendlazy Sundayvacation

The GriMM Tales

Cinder

Cinder

Hansel and Gerhardt

Hansel and Gerhardt

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Zel

Zel

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
PagesHow long the commitment is.337
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2025
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.20 ★ (364)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

The GriMM Tales
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